Five Tips for Surviving a Remodeling Project

Someone once said that remodeling a house is like tailoring a suit while someone is wearing it. Living in your home during a construction project is almost always a stressful experience, but there are ways you can minimize your stress.

Tip #1: Decide who the main contacts will be for both you and your contractor. Your day-to-day contact ideally should be someone who's home most often or can most easily be reached by phone. Your contractor's contact will most likely be the lead carpenter on the project. That way there's a clear chain of command and less chance of displaced or lost information.

Tip #2: Be prepared to have your daily routine disrupted to some extent. The amount will depend on which area of the home is being remodeled. Kitchens and baths are the most difficult. Have your contractor set up a temporary kitchen area -- a microwave, refrigerator and hotplate can suffice -- and plan to use an alternate bath.

Tip #3: Give your contractor some space -- part of the garage, yard or basement-- to store equipment and materials for the project. It will help keep the job site cleaner, help protect building supplies, and keep your home and yard safer for children and pets.

Tip #4: Don't micromanage your contractor. If you've done your homework, checked references and looked at previous projects, then you've hired a qualified professional. Let him do what he does best.

Tip #5: Expect some delays. In addition to factors outside any contractor's direct control -- weather, inspectors, suppliers and subcontractors there is the possibility of the "mystery factor" in a remodeling project. When you 're moving walls or ripping up floors, you're opening up areas that sometimes conceal problems that could not reasonably be foreseen. So even the best-planned project could have surprises.

The best overall advice is to be a "working team" -- you and your remodeler -- both striving for a pleasant, successful, remodeling experience!